Embattled BYU guard Nick Emery withdraws from school

Brigham Young Cougars head coach Dave Rose and guard Nick Emery (4) walk off the court after their 81-50 loss to the St. Mary's Gaels during a West Coast Conference semifinals game at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, March 06, 2017.

Unfortunately, I am mentally not where I need to be in order to perform in basketball and in school this year.—Nick Emery

The junior, who starred at Lone Peak High, is under investigation by the NCAA in connection to allegations of receiving improper benefits from a booster.

Emery will not play for the Cougars in 2017-18, but said he is planning on returning to the team at some point.

"I have decided to withdraw from BYU today,” Emery said in a statement released Friday afternoon. “Unfortunately, I am mentally not where I need to be in order to perform in basketball and in school this year. As it has been made known, I went through a divorce this year and it has been really difficult for me. I have confidence that I will come back stronger and better. I have every intention on coming back to BYU and representing Cougar nation on the basketball floor. I thank everyone for their love and support, especially my teammates, coaches and the BYU administration that have been an incredible support system. Go Cougs!"

Rose also made a statement about Emery’s withdrawal.

“Nick’s personal well-being is my number one concern right now. He’s going through a very difficult time, and we’ve had a lot of discussions about what he needs to do to be able to move forward,” he said. “We both feel like the best thing for him is to take time off before continuing with his basketball career. As coaches and his teammates, we want what is best for Nick, and we know he has a great family that will help him navigate this difficult time. We look forward to welcoming him back at BYU soon.”

Emery averaged 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a freshman and set the freshman school record for 3-pointers with 97. As a sophomore last season, he averaged 13.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists to go along with a team-high 55 steals and hit 75 3-pointers.

Emery became the fourth BYU player to reach the 1,000 career point plateau as a sophomore.

Earlier this week, Rose told reporters that Emery would not play this weekend, including Saturday night’s season opener against Mississippi Valley State while the NCAA conducted its investigation.

According to school officials “BYU is in the process of working with the NCAA regarding issues related to Emery’s eligibility.”

A couple of weeks ago, Rose addressed the Emery issue with reporters.

"I can say this — I don’t know if I can or not, but I will — that the process of what Nick’s been through in the spring, the summer and now the fall has been pretty tough to watch from a coach’s point of view," Rose said. "I think of the conversations and the time we’ve spent together, that I’m really proud of our team and how they’ve supported Nick through a pretty difficult time. Hopefully we can get some closure. But our guys have got their arms around him and helping him through each day. Some days are tougher than others. As a coach, I’ve been doing this a long time and I’ve seen these guys really embrace this kid and hopefully we get him back to where we know he can be, helping this team.”